Stitch-separating mechanism for sewing-machines.



No. 653,!45. Patented July 3, I900. F. w. MERRICK. STITCH SEPARATINGMEGHAN'ISMTOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed. Nov. 26, 1898.)

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N0. 653,|45. Patented Jul 's, I900.

' F. w. MERRICK. STITCH SEPARATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Nov. 25, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Nu Model.)

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-No. $53,145. Patented, July 3,;1900. F. w. MERRICK.

STITCH SEPARATIHG MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Nov. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

a Sheets-Sheet a.

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.FFICE.

P T T FRANK W. MERRICK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STITCH-SEPARATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,145, dated July 3,1900. Application filed November 25, 1898. Serial No. 697,319. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. MERRICK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of ro panyingdrawings.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is customary to improve theappearance of the line of stitching around the outer projecting portionor edge of the sole by dividing, separating, or setting up the stitchesthereof on the upper surface of the said portion of the solethat is tosay, by forcing a tool in between successive stitchesat the uppersurface of the said projecting portion or edge of the 2o sole-so as todivide or separate such stitches somewhat from one another and round orplump them up. It is customary also to further ornament the uppersurface of the projecting portion or edge of the sole by the for mationalong the line of stitching of a series] of transverse creases orindentations in the said surface, the said creases or indentationsoccurring at points where the thread enters the leather.

The general object of the invention is to provide improved devicesoperating in combination with the stitching devices of a sewingmachineand performing the work aforesaid that is to say, either the dividing,separating,

or setting up or both the dividing, separating,

or setting up and the creasing or indentingas the stitching proceeds.

One special object of the invention is to provide devices by means ofwhich the indenting or marking around the projecting portion or edge ofthe sole of a boot or shoe shall be elfected as the stitching proceedsand farther in under the adjoining overhanging or bulging portion of theupper than has been possible with the aid of the devices heretoforecontrived or employed. The trade at the present day demands that theinner ends of the creases, marks, or indentations which are formedbetween the stitches shall be concealed 5o beneath the said overhangingor bulging portion of the upper. None of the devices at present in useon sewing-machines is capable of meeting this requirement. It isdiificult to cause the markings, creases, or indentations to extendsufficiently far inward on account of the fact that the overhanging orbulging portion of the upper aforesaid is in the way of the indenting ormarking tool and is liable to be injured thereby.

The invention will be described first with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which latter I have illustrated the best embodiment of theinvention which I have yet contrived, after which the distinguishing andcharacteristic features thereof will be pointed out particularly in theclaims at the close of this specification. I

Figure 1 of the said drawings shows in end elevation a sewing-machinehaving the said embodiment of my invention applied thereto lookingtoward the head end of the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the headof the machine and the said embodiment looking from the left-hand sidein Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail vie\v,on an enlarged scale, showingchiefly the parts in which the invention more immediately resides, thetool being represented in its raised and retracted position. Fig. 4 is asimilar View representing the tool in its depressed position inengagement with the material being operated upon. Figs. 5 and 6 areviews looking from the right-hand sidein Fig. 3, showing thethread-guide in different positions. Fig. 7 is a view showing thepresserfoot in elevation. Fig. 8 is a view showing the said presser-footin elevation looking at the same from the right-hand side in Fig. 7.Figs. 9 and 10 are views in elevation of the tool to which reference ismade hereinafter. In the drawings, 1, Figs. 1 and 2, designates theupright portion of the frame of a sewingmachine, 2 the arm, and 3 thehead thereof. 4=is the usual awl-bar, and 5 is the usual awl.

6 is the presser-bar, and 7 is the presser-foot. 611 is a rock-shaftmounted in bearings in the frame, and612 isan arm or tappet on saidrock-shaft operating to effect the lifting of the presser-bar andpresser-foot. I 8 is the usual needle-bar, and 9 is the needle. 10, Fig.1, is the cast-01f bar, and 11 is the cast-off.

12, Fig. 1, is the vibrating post in which the needle-bar 8 and cast-offbar 10 are mounted.

13 (see particularly Fig. 1) is the work-supporting post, and 14 is thework-rest which is carried by the said work-supporting post.

The foregoing parts are or may be constructed as heretofore or in anyapproved manner, save as indicated hereinafter with reference to thepresser-foot 7. In practice they are or may be actuated and caused tooperate in usual or any approved manner.

15 designates portion of the sole of a shoe in process of being operatedupon, while 16, Figs. 5 and 6, designates the adjacent overhanging orbulging portion of the upper of a shoe.

17 is the tool which I employ for operating on the work between thestitches as the stitching proceeds. The working end of the said tool inpractice will be shaped properly to perform the desired work. hen thesaid tool is designed simply to perform the work known variously asdividing, separating, setting up, or pricking up the stitches in thegoods-being stitched, its working end will be shaped as customary toenter the holes between'the stitches. When it is desired that the saidtool shall crease, indent, or mark the goods transversely across theline of stitching, the edge of the said working end will be made longenough to act upon the leather adjacent to the line of stitching. (SeeFig. 10.) The upwardly-extending shank of the tool 17 is connectedpivotally, as by means of a. stud 18, having its stem fitted to a hole191 in said shank, Fig. 9, with the transversely-extending arm of abell-crank 19, which is mounted to turn upon the stem of a headed stud20, projecting from an arm of the presser-foot 7. The upwardlyextendingarm of the said bellcrank is connected by a link 21 to the depending armof a lever 22, which is mounted upon a suitable pivot or upon centers 2323 on a projecting portion or bracket 24 of the head 3. The lever 22 Iterm the actuating-lever for convenience of designation. It derives itsmovement from a suitable cam. A cam for the special purpose may beprovided if desired. In the present instance I utilize the cam or tappet612 for the purpose of moving the said lever to depress the tool 17positively against the work, and for the purpose of raising the toolafter each depression thereof by the said cam I providea spring, as 25,having one end thereof connected to a pin 26 on a laterally-projectingarm of the lever 22 and the other end thereof connected to a pin, as 27,applied to the head 3 of the machine.

For the purpose of enabling me to vary in convenient manner the depth ofthe indentations produced in the work by the action of the tool 17 Iemploy in connection with the actuating-lever 22 and its operating-caman intermediate contact-face or shoe and means of adjusting the same. Inthe present embodiment of my invention I have applied the saidcontact-face or shoe to the upper arm of the actuating-lever 22, itbeing designated 28 and being held to the said lever by screws 29 29,the stems of which pass through transversely-elongated slots 30.30 inthe flange of the contact-face or shoe 28 and into screwthreaded holesin the lever 22, said slots being shown in Figs. 3 and at in dottedlines. Adjusting-screws 31 31 are shown applied to tapped or threadedholes in the lever 22, their inner ends taking bearing against thecontact-face or shoe.

The devices are constructed and arranged to operate the tool 17 in suchmanner as that in each descent of the said tool the working end thereofshall be impressed into the goods being operated upon and between thestitches at the stitch-making or stitch-forming point in themachine-that is to say, at each descent of the tool 17 the working endof the same is impressed between the stitches at the point in themachine where the stitches are drawn by the descent of the needle 9. Inother words, it follows in the path of the descending needle and actsagainst the material at the upper end of the hole from which the needlehas just been withdrawn. (See Fig. 4 of the drawings.) It is necessaryin order to withdraw the tool out of the path of the parts which areconcerned more immediately in forming the stitches and feeding the workalong to retract the tool after each descent thereof to a position whichis removed horizontally from the path of movement of the stitches andfeeding devices. In the case of the sewing-machine which is illustratedin the accompanying drawings the work is fed along by the advance of theneedle 9 after it has risen into the work. As is well known, this riseof the needle takes place in the vertical plane in which awl 5reciprocates, and thereafter the needle is carried forward or advancedin the line of the feed into the position in which it is shown in Fig.3. In order that the tool 17 may not interfere with the needle in theadvance of the latter, the said tool is retracted, as just stated, intoa position which is removed horizontally from the path of movement ofthe stitching and feeding devices, it being carried forward or advancedat its working end in the line of the feed also. In order to secure thedesired path of movement of the working end of the tool, I combine withthe moving tool and the presser-foot or equivalent relatively-fixed partguiding devices whereby the line of travel of the working end of thetool is defined. These guiding devices may variously be constructed inpractice, but conveniently may comprise a cam on the one part coactingwith a bearing on the other part in the shape, it may be, of a pin,stud, or roll. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention I haveprovided the tool 17 with the cam, the latter being represented asformed at 32 on one edge of the tool 17, and the bearing with which thesaid cam coacts is shown as constituted by a stud 33, which is carriedby the upwardly extending portion or stem of the presser-foot 7. Thesaid cam 32, which, as

just indicated, may be applied to either the tool or the presser-foot,is shaped properly to occasion as the vertical movementsof the tool takeplace the required extent of horizontal movement of the working end ofthe tool 17 in the direction of the line of feed to ward and from thestitch-making point in the machine. A spring 34 holds pressed intocontact with the stud 33 the edge of the tool on which the cam 32 isprovided. The stud 33 has a head or flange 35, which holds the tool inposition against the stem or upwardly-extending portion of thepresser-foot 7 during the movements of the tool. It is necessary thatprovision should be made for enabling the position of the path of theworking end of the tool to be determined or located to meetrequirements. Thus when a change is made inthe length of the feed of thesewing-machine a change or adjustment is necessary in the position ofthe path of the Workin g end of the tool.

in order that the said working end may be caused to continue to strikeat the stitchmaking point. To this end I combine with the tool 17 andthe stud or fixed bearing 33 suitable adjusting devices. I usuallysecure the desired results by mounting the stud 33 in ahorizontally-extended slot 36 in the stem of the presser-foot 7, thesaid slot being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7. The stud 33 issecured at the desired point in the length ofthe said slot in suitableor convenient manner; as by means of the nut 37 and washer 38, which arerepresented in Fig. 8. 39 designates the thread-guide,the same beingar-. ranged and operated to lay the thread passing therethrough underthe hook of the needle after the hooked end of the needle has beenforced upward through the work, as in Figs. 3 and 5. Preferably inpractice I employ a socalled rotary thread-guide, the latter beingoperated in a substantially-circular path by means substantiallyidentical with that which is disclosed in United States Letters Patentto me, No. $30,856, granted January 31, 1893. It is important that thetool 17 and the parts by which its working is controlled should beremoved entirely out of the path of movement of the thread-guide inorder not to interfere with the movement of the thread guide. Thus inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention I locate the devices foractuating and controlling the tool 17 Wholly in advance of thestitch-making point in the line of feed, and I form the working end ofthe said tool on a substantially horizontal extension of the latter,which extension is of sufficient length to project rearwardly under thestud 33 and below the path of movement of the thread guide to thestitch-making point.

In order to enable the tool to strike well in under the overhanging orbulging portion of the upper of a shoe without liability to make contactwith such portion of the upper, Icon-- struct the devices in such manneras to'give the upper than has been possible heretofore with the aid ofthe devices in prior use on sewing-machines, and also enables me to meetsatisfactorily the requirement of the trade that the inner ends of thecreases, marks, or indentations in the upper surface of the sole shallbe concealed beneath the said overhanging or bulging portion of theupper. The inclination of the path of movement of the tool will beobvious from Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 8. It is secured in the present case byforming the stem or upwardly-extending portion of the presser-foot 7inclined, as shown, and by mounting the tool 17 and bell-crank 19 on thesaid stem, so that the movement of the said parts shall all take placein a plane which is parallel with the said stem. Necessarily the Workingend of the tool is formed at an oblique angle with reference to thesides of the tool (see Fig. 10) in order that the said end may actuniformly upon the sole throughout the length of the edge of the tool.

Universal-joint connections are employed between the opposite ends ofthe link 21 and the lever 22 and bell-crank 19, as indicated at 4-0 40.This compensates forthe relative inclination of the plane-in whichbell-crank 19 vibrates. Theuniversal-jointconnections also enable thepresser-foot to be swung or adj usted around the vertical axis of thepresserbar without occasioning cramping of the operating devices for thetool 17. making rotary adjustment of the presser-foot around the axis ofthe presser-bar is important, since it enables the distance between the1 Facility .for

edge of the upper of a shoe andv the line. of

stitching in the sole thereof convenient to be varied. The side of thepresser-foot constitutes a gage, against which the upper is pressed bythe operator, and theposition of the said side with respect to theneedle determines the closeness of the approach of the upper to theneedle.

It will be apparent that the improved features of construction andcombinations of parts herein presented are in some cases equallyapplicable to use, whether or not the plane in which the tool works isinclined lat erally with respect to the sole of the shoe be ing operatedupon. 1

Referring again to the adjustment of the stud 33 in the slot 36, it willbe seen that a channel 50 (see Figs. 7 and 8) is formedin the face ofthe presser-foot parallel with the slot 36 and that the stud 33 has'anenlargement 51 thereon, which fits and slides in the channel 50. Thisenlargement 51 prevents the stud from being retracted through the slot36 when the nut 37 is turned up, the action being that the body of thepresser-toot 7 is gripped between the enlargement 51 and the washer 38and nut 37.

I claim as my invention 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination with thestitching devices, of the indentingtool, supporting means therefor andactuating means for the said tool moving its working end in a pathcutting obliquely the path of movement of the needle, whereby to carrysaid Working end in its descent in beneath the overhanging portion ofthe upper of the said shoe, substantially as described.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitching devices, andthe presserfoot, of the indenting-tool, means for supportin g the sameon the said presser-foot in an inclined position, and actuating devicesfor the said tool movingthe latter in a path cutting obliquely the pathof movement of the needle, whereby to carry said working end in itsdescent in beneath the overhanging portion of the upper of the saidshoe, substantially as described.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitching devices, ofthe indentingtool, supporting means therefor, and actuating means forthe said tool moving its working end in a path cutting obliquely thepath of movement of the needle, and operating to advance the same to thestitch-making point in the machine, there impress it between thestitches, and then retract the same to a position horizontally removedfrom the path of movement of the said devices, whereby to carry saidworking end in its descent in beneath the overhanging portion of theupper of the said shoe, substantially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitching devices, andpresser-foot, of the indenting-tool, means for supporting the same,actuating devices for the said tool, guiding devices determining thepath of movement of the working end of the said tool, and means foradjusting said guiding devices whereby to enable the position of thesaid path to be varied, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitching devices andpresser-foot, of the indenting-tool, means for supporting said tool,actuating devices for the said tool, the cam and bearing determining thepath of movement of the working end of the said tool, and the adjustingmeans whereby the position of the said path is varied, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with the presser-foot, and the indenting-tool, thesaid parts having guiding devices to control the path of movement of theworking end of the tool, of the bellcrank operatively connected with thetool, the actuating-lever operatively linked to the bellcrank,and theactuating-tappet,substantially as described.

7. The combination with the presserbar, the presser-foot, theindenting-tool, and the bell-crank pivoted to the presser-foot, of theactuating-lever, the link having universaljoint connections with thesaid bell-crank and actuating-lever, and means to actuate the saidactuating-lever, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the indentingtool, means for supporting thesame, the ac tuating-lever, and operating connections intermediate thesaid tool and lever, of the operating-tappet, the movable contact-faceintermediate, the said tappet and lever, and

means to adjust the said contact-face, where-- by to vary the depth ofthe impressions produced by the tool, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. MERRICK.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND.

